In some settings, surgical instruments include distal end effectors suitable for placement at a desired surgical site such as, for example, at tissue to be severed and/or stapled. These distal end effectors may engage tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect (e.g., endocutter, grasper, cutter, stapler, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapy delivery device, and energy delivery device using ultrasound, RF, laser, etc.). Such surgical instruments may include a shaft between the end effector and a handle portion, which is manipulated by the clinician. Such a shaft may enable insertion to a desired depth and rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, thereby facilitating positioning of the end effector within the patient. Positioning of an end effector may be further facilitated through inclusion of one or more articulation joints or features, enabling the end effector to be selectively articulated or otherwise deflected relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Examples of such surgical instruments include surgical staplers. Some such staplers are operable to clamp down on layers of tissue, to sever the clamped layers of tissue, and to drive staples through the layers of tissue to substantially seal the severed layers of tissue together near the severed ends of the tissue layers. Merely exemplary surgical staplers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,543, entitled “Surgical Anastomosis Stapling Instrument with Flexible Support Shaft and Anvil Adjusting Mechanism,” issued Dec. 21, 1993, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,073, entitled “Flexible Support Shaft Assembly,” issued Apr. 11, 1995, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,836, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with Improved Jaw Closure and Staple Firing Actuator Mechanism,” issued Sep. 26, 1995, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,894, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with Articulated Stapling Head Assembly on Rotatable and Flexible Support Shaft,” issued Nov. 14, 1995, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,443, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with Articulated Stapling Head Assembly on Rotatable and Flexible Support Shaft,” issued Feb. 18, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,272, entitled “Trigger Mechanism for Surgical Instruments,” issued Feb. 25, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,094, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with Articulated Stapling Head Assembly on Rotatable and Flexible Support Shaft,” issued Mar. 4, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,543, entitled “Linear Stapler with Improved Firing Stroke,” issued Dec. 16, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,871, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with Articulated Stapling Head Assembly on Rotatable and Flexible Support Shaft,” issued Mar. 31, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,650, entitled “Retaining Pin Lever Advancement Mechanism for a Curved Cutter Stapler,” issued Jan. 24, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,587, entitled “Knife Retraction Arm for a Curved Cutter Stapler,” issued Nov. 14, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,404, entitled “Slotted Pins Guiding Knife in a Curved Cutter Stapler,” issued Apr. 17, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,472, entitled “Cartridge with Locking Knife for a Curved Cutter Stapler,” issued Apr. 24, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,766,207, entitled “Articulating Curved Cutter Stapler,” issued Aug. 3, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
While several systems and methods have been made and used for surgical instruments, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the technology may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present technology, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the technology; it being understood, however, that this technology is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.